ABSTRACT

Gender segregation in the UK labour market is persistent and partly the consequence of little change in the numbers of women employed in male-dominated industries. A number of these industries, some of which are economically critical, are facing skills shortages, which could be addressed through the recruitment and retention of more women. There are currently 14.7 million women in employment in the UK out of a total workforce of just over 30 million. This chapter examines a highly gender segregated area of employment, engineering- a profession where gender segregation begins at school, continues through to the workplace and is underpinned by gender stereotypical views of what constitutes 'men's work' and 'women's work'. It offers an insight into what life is like for a sample of female engineers, specifically in relation to their numerical underrepresentation, how they think women engineers are perceived and the challenges they face as female professional engineers in male-dominated workplaces.